Fenben for humans has recently come back into the spotlight due to a popular story about a man who used it in combination with DCA to cure his cancer. While some scientific evidence supports this use, long exposure to benzimidazole compounds (like fenbendazole) has not been well documented.
Benzimidazole carbamate group drugs are well known for their anthelminthic activities against parasitic worms but they can also have anticancer activity, which was highlighted recently with the report of Joe Tippens’ success in treating his nonsmall cell lung cancer using DCA and fenbendazole (FZ). We investigated the antitumor effects of FZ in human cancer cells and found that it acted through moderate microtubule depolymerizing action, p53 stabilization and interference with glucose metabolism leading to preferential elimination of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.
In a cancer cell line panel, FZ induced apoptosis in most cells but did not affect the growth of normal cells. It also lowered glucose consumption of malignant cells by suppressing the expression of GLUT transporters and hexokinase II, the key glycolytic enzyme.
The results suggest that fenbendazole has an important role to play in the treatment of neoplastic diseases and can be used together with other conventional cancer treatments. However, it is crucial to work with a medical professional who has experience with this medication in humans to avoid serious side effects.